Jackson raceway could have been saved

Jackson Harness Raceway withered away for years while we stood by and watched it die.

The end came Thursday, when owners in West Virginia pulled the plug. After 60 years, the raceway is out of business.

It feels like the loss of an old friend.

The track was crowded, lively and fun when I moved to Jackson in 1985.
One night, I met Detroit Tigers pitcher Milt Wilcox there. Political leaders from Lansing, including the most powerful lobbyist of his era, were seen at the track. Customers sometimes whispered about wise guys from Detroit in attendance. Once I was amused and horrified to witness the goofy-drunk antics of two high-profile Jackson men (both live in other states now) who hooted in appreciation of women who were well-endowed.

Those were the days.

Track attendance began a fatal collapse in the 1990s. Death was lingering but not unavoidable. The raceway could have been saved.

For years, the track wanted state permission to add slot machines as a weapon against rising competition from casinos.

Michigan proved reluctant.

Lawmakers finally voted to allow slot machines in 2004, but then casinos bankrolled a ballot proposal to stop it.

Slot machines have saved struggling horse tracks around the country. They almost certainly would have saved Jackson Harness Raceway, which even talked about building a glitzy new track.

Jackson showed little enthusiasm.

Community leaders and citizens never galvanized to try saving Jackson's largest entertainment attraction. Neither did newspaper columnists.

Moral opposition to gambling explains some attitudes against a "racino" with slot machines. That is valid. But Jackson had gambling since 1948. It seems doubtful most residents believe the city would be worse off with horse racing and slot machines than with neither.

The old raceway rallied gamely before the end.

Big crowds returned to live racing on Saturdays the last two years. The track still lost money, but some nights felt like the glory days again.

No more.

Now Jackson has one fewer thing to do. Outsiders have less reason to visit.

Jackson Harness Raceway never threatened to leave and never asked for a dime from taxpayers.

It simply asked for ammunition to compete with casinos. We did virtually nothing to help. Good-bye old friend. After 60 years, you deserved better.